Frontiers in Pharmacology
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2024
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IF 4.4
Chu Simeng,Yang Wei,Lu Yujie,Li Junjie,Peng Jiamin,Liu Wenjuan,Jiang Min,Bai Gang
Introduction: Tetrandrine (Tet) is the main pharmacological component of Stephania tetrandra S. Moore, which is a well-documented traditional Chinese medicine known for its diuretic and antihypertensive properties. Unraveling the specific targets and mechanisms of Tet involved in inducing diuresis and mitigating hypertension can provide valuable insights into its therapeutic effects. This study aimed to explore the diuretic and antihypertensive targets and mechanisms of Tet using chemical biology coupled with activity analyses in vivo and in vitro.Methods: The diuretic effects of Tet were evaluated using a water-loaded mouse model. The direct target proteins for the diuretic and antihypertensive effects of Tet were determined using chemical biology. Furthermore, the molecular mechanism of Tet binding to target proteins was analyzed using a multidisciplinary approach based on the structure and function of the proteins. Finally, the effects of the Tet-targeted protein on downstream signaling pathways and blood pressure were evaluated in hypertensive model rats.Results: Tet exhibited significant antihypertensive and potassium-preserving diuretic effects. The mechanism underlying these effects involves the modulation of the enzyme activity by covalent binding of Tet to Cys423 of CYP11A1. This interaction alters the stability of heme within CYP11A1, subsequently impeding electron transfer and inhibiting aldosterone biosynthesis.Discussion: This study not only revealed the mechanism of the diuretic and antihypertensive effects of Tet but also discovered a novel covalent inhibitor of CYP11A1. These findings contribute significantly to our understanding of the therapeutic potential of Tet and provide a foundation for future research in the development of targeted treatments for hypertension.
研究领域:
药理学
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化学生物学
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心血管研究
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY ANALYSIS
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2024
·Vol. 38
·期 10
·e25045
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IF 2.6
Xiaohua Xu,Yongzhi Xu,Shengqiang Liang
Background The interference can be a significant source of laboratory errors with the potential to cause immunoassay results to drift. Therefore, we evaluated the interference in various endogenous and exogenous substances on immunoassay for angiotensin I (Ang I), angiotensin II (Ang II), aldosterone, and renin in vitro. Methods Ten endogenous and eight exogenous substances were evaluated at supraphysiologic or supratherapeutic plasma levels using the screening study to identify potential interfering substances. Subsequently, potential interfering substances were further tested within maximum pathological or therapeutic plasma concentration ranges using the dose–response study to determine whether the interference has a significant bias. According to preset acceptance criteria, the interference in potential interfering substances for Ang I, Ang II, and renin and aldosterone assays was determined. Results Six potential interfering substances for Ang I immunoassays were identified, namely valsartan, nifedipine, spironolactone, cholesterol, hemoglobin, and triglyceride. Meanwhile, ethanol, nifedipine, spironolactone, heparin sodium, warfarin, hemoglobin, uric acid, cholesterol, and triglyceride appeared to have potential interference in the Ang II assay. Three identified as possible interferents for aldosterone immunoassays were glucose, valsartan, and spironolactone. Moreover, warfarin, valsartan, spironolactone, uric acid, cholesterol, bilirubin unconjugated, triglyceride, and hemoglobin were potential interfering substances for renin immunoassays. However, only spironolactone of these potential interfering substances exceeded preset mean bias limits (less than ±10.0%) in aldosterone immunoassays. Conclusion Exogenous spironolactone caused clinically significant interference in aldosterone immunoassays. Moreover, the interference in other substances was acceptable in Ang I, Ang II, and renin and aldosterone immunoassays.
研究领域:
医学检验
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内分泌学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
FASEB JOURNAL
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2025
·Vol. 39
·期 14
·e70861
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IF 4.2
Ke Sun,Fugang Huang,Wenjin Xie,Wenbo Hu,Mengting Zhu,Zhenliang Fan,Keda Lu
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant global health issue, and effective treatments are limited. Xiaoyu Xiezhuo Decoction (XYXZD), a traditional Chinese medicine, has shown potential in modulating the gut–kidney axis and related signaling pathways. This study investigates the effects of XYXZD in alleviating tubulointerstitial fibrosis (TIF) in a unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rat model by targeting the aldosterone (ALD)/mineralocorticoid receptor (MR)/serum- and glucocorticoid-inducible kinase-1 (SGK-1) signaling pathway and exploring the role of butyrate. UUO rats were divided into four groups: control, UUO model, XYXZD treatment, and irbesartan treatment. Renal function was assessed by measuring serum creatinine (Scr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and ALD levels. Fibrosis markers, including alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and Collagen Type III (COL-III), as well as signaling molecules such as phosphorylated SGK-1 (p-SGK-1) and phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa B (p-NF-κB), were analyzed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry. Gut microbiota composition was evaluated using 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing, and the role of butyrate was examined via oral gavage treatment. XYXZD significantly improved renal function, reduced fibrosis, and restored gut microbiota balance by increasing butyrate-producing bacteria. XYXZD also reduced serum ALD levels and inhibited SGK-1 phosphorylation, suggesting modulation of the ALD/MR signaling pathway. Furthermore, butyrate treatment reduced MR nuclear translocation, supporting its role in the therapeutic effects of XYXZD. XYXZD alleviates renal injury in UUO rats by modulating the gut–kidney axis, particularly through the ALD/MR/SGK-1 signaling pathway, with butyrate playing a critical role. These findings highlight a promising approach for CKD treatment by targeting gut microbiota and enhancing butyrate production. Graphical Mechanism of XYXZD improvement of renal injury through modulation of the gut–kidney axis and ALD/MR/SGK-1 signaling pathway.
研究领域:
药理学
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肾脏病学
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微生物学
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中医学
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分子生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
TOXICOLOGY
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2016
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IF 3.817
Xu Wang,Yijie Bai,Guyue Cheng,Awais Ihsan,Feng Zhu,Yulian Wang,Yanfei Tao,Dongmei Chen,Menghong Dai,Zhengli Liu,Zonghui Yuan
Quinoxaline 1,4-dioxides (QdNOs) are widely used as a kind of antibacterial growth promoter in animal husbandry. The adrenal cortex was found to be one of the main toxic targets of QdNOs, accompanied by a decreased aldosterone level. However, the way in which QdNOs decrease production of the hormone aldosterone is far from clear. To illustrate the mechanism by which QdNOs damage the adrenal cortex and decrease aldosterone hormone levels, the QdNOs were screened to choose the drug with most toxic effects on aldosterone production, and then to reveal the mechanism between the gene and protein profiles in human adrenocortical cells (NCI-H295R cells). The results found that quinocetone (QCT) showed the highest adrenal toxic effect among QdNOs. After exposing H295R cells to 10 and 20 μM QCT for 24 h, compared with blank cells, the gene and protein expression profiles obtained were analyzed by microarray and MALDI TOF/TOF mass spectrometry, respectively. The results of microarray analysis suggested that ABCG1 and SREBF1, which were involved in the cholesterol biosynthetic and metabolic processes, and CYP17A1, NR4A2 and G6PD, which were related to aldosterone biosynthesis, were important molecular targets. It has been speculated that PKC and ERK pathways might be involved in the reduction of aldosterone production caused by QCT, through enhanced mRNA expression of CYP17A1. Additionally, JNK and p38MAPK signal transduction pathways might participate in apoptosis induced by QCT. Twenty-nine and 32 protein spots were successfully identified when cells were treated with 10 and 20 μM QCT, respectively. These identified proteins mainly included material synthesis and energy metabolism-related proteins, transcription/translation processing-related proteins, signal transduction proteins, cytoskeletal proteins, molecular chaperones, proteins related to response to stress, and transport proteins. Further investigations suggested that oxidative stress caused by QCT was exacerbated through disruption of the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE anti-oxidative stress pathway. Taken together, the data demonstrated for the first time that the Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway plays a crucial role in adrenal toxicity, and that CYP17A1 was the key switch to reduce the aldosterone production induced by QCT. Furthermore, large numbers of genes and proteins and entry points for research in the inhibition of aldosterone synthesis induced by QCT were offered, which will provide new insight into the adrenal toxicity of QdNOs and help to provide a theoretical foundation for the formulation of safety controls for products obtained from animals and to design new QdNOs with less harmful effects.
研究领域:
毒理学
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药理学
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内分泌学
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分子生物学
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细胞生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
METABOLISM-CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL
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2025
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IF 11.9
Long Xu,Xinyan Wu,Luosha Long,Suchun Li,Meiying Huang,Meng Li,Pinning Feng,Moshe Levi,Wei Chen,Lei Wang,Chunling Li,Weidong Wang
Epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), located in the collecting duct principal cells of the kidney, is responsible for the reabsorption of sodium and plays a critical role in the regulation of extracellular fluid volume and consequently blood pressure. The G protein-coupled bile acid receptor (TGR5) is a membrane receptor mediating effects of bile acid and is implicated in kidney diseases. The current study aims to investigate whether TGR5 activation in the kidney regulated ENaC expression and potential mechanism. Lithocholic acid (LCA), a TGR5 agonist, markedly decreased systolic blood pressure induced by DOCA-salt in mice, which was associated with decreased ENaC expression in the kidney. DOCA-salt treatment increased renal expression of histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) and decreased expression of lysine-specific demethylase 5A (KDM5A), a lysine demethylase, which was markedly reversed by LCA. TGR5 knockout caused further increased systolic blood pressure and ENaC expression in mice with DOCA-salt in association with increased H3K4me3 and decreased KDM5A. In immortalized mouse cortical collecting duct (mpkCCD) cells LCA markedly inhibited aldosterone-induced ENaC-mediated current. LCA treatment or TGR5 overexpression markedly inhibited ENaC and H3K4me3 protein expression in association with decreased KDM5A in mpkCCD cells treated with either aldosterone or angiotensin II. Inhibition or knockdown of KDM5A in mpkCCD cells prevented LCA-induced downregulation of ENaC expression by promoting H3K4me3 on the ENaC transcription start site. LCA upregulated KDM5A expression was likely through JNK/c-Jun signal pathway. In conclusion, LCA decreased blood pressure and ENaC protein expression in the kidney of mice with DOCA-salt, likely through activating TGR5 and upregulating KDM5A-induced H3K4me3 demethylation in ENaC promoter region.
研究领域:
肾病学
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分子生物学
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药理学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMOSPHERE
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2024
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IF 8.1
Lu Wang,Jingjing Miao,Min Ding,Wei Zhang,Luqing Pan
Nonylphenol (NP) contamination in the coastal environment of China poses ecological risks to aquatic organisms. However, the endocrine disruptive impacts of NP on bivalves, particularly on ovarian development, remain poorly understood. In this study, Manila clams Ruditapes philippinarum at the developing stage of gonad were exposed to 1.0 μg/L NP for 21 days. Utilizing RNA interference (RNAi) to suppress ER gene expression, we observed a delay in ovarian development as evidenced by histological observations under both NP and NPRi (NP with ER-RNAi) treatment, with Vtg elevation exclusive to the NP group. Comprehensive analyses encompassing transcriptomics, real-time quantitative PCR, and steroid hormone measurement revealed significant alterations in aldosterone synthesis, estrogen signaling, and thyroid hormone synthesis. These pathways showed similar perturbations in both NP and NPRi groups compared to controls. Notably, the NPRi group exhibited distinct enrichment in PPAR and insulin signaling pathways, may implicating these in ER function suppression. Steroid hormone biosynthesis was notably reduced in both treatments, pointing to a profound impact on hormone synthesis. The contrast between in vivo and in vitro findings suggests that NP's detrimental effects on ovarian development may primarily involve neuroendocrine regulation of steroidogenesis. This investigation highlights the complex dynamics of NP-induced endocrine disruption in bivalves, emphasizing the pivotal role of ER and associated pathways.
研究领域:
环境毒理学
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分子生物学
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内分泌学
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海洋生物学
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DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
FASEB JOURNAL
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2024
·Vol. 38
·期 13
·e23781
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IF 4.4
Wenfang Lai,Siying Huang,Junjie Liu,Binbin Zhou,Zhengshuang Yu,John Brown,Guizhu Hong
Reactive astrocytes are important pathophysiologically and synthesize neurosteroids. We observed that LPS increased immunoreactive TLR4 and key steroidogenic enzymes in cortical astrocytes of rats and investigated whether corticosteroids are produced and mediate astrocytic TLR4-dependent innate immune responses. We found that LPS increased steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) and StAR-dependent aldosterone production in purified astrocytes. Both increases were blocked by the TLR4 antagonist TAK242. LPS also increased 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) and corticosterone production, and both were prevented by TAK242 and by siRNAs against 11β-HSD1, StAR, or aldosterone synthase (CYP11B2). Knockdown of 11β-HSD1, StAR, or CYP11B2 or blocking either mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) or glucocorticoid receptors (GR) prevented dephosphorylation of p-Ser 9 GSK-3β, activation of NF-κB, and the GSK-3β-dependent increases of C3, IL-1β, and TNF-α caused by LPS. Exogenous aldosterone mimicked the MR- and GSK-3β-dependent pro-inflammatory effects of LPS in astrocytes, but corticosterone did not. Supernatants from astrocytes treated with LPS reduced MAP2 and viability of cultured neurons except when astrocytic StAR or MR was inhibited. In adrenalectomized rats, intracerebroventricular injection of LPS increased astrocytic TLR4, StAR, CYP11B2, and 11β-HSD1, NF-κB, C3 and IL-1β, decreased astrocytic p-Ser 9 GSK-3β in the cortex and was neurotoxic, except when spironolactone was co-injected, consistent with the in vitro results. LPS also activated NF-κB in some NeuN + and CD11b + cells in the cortex, and these effects were prevented by spironolactone. We conclude that intracrine aldosterone may be involved in the TLR4-dependent innate immune responses of astrocytes and can trigger paracrine effects by activating astrocytic MR/GSK-3β/NF-κB signaling.
研究领域:
神经科学
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免疫学
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药理学
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分子生物学
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产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
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